The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council – taking into account the tense situation that arose after the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal – called on the political circles to urgently start parliamentary cooperation and dialogue with the society in order to develop solutions.
What do doctors think about the Court’s judgment?
The NRL Bureau announced on Tuesday that it was deeply concerned about the Constitutional Court’s judgment on the admissibility of termination of pregnancy due to severe and irreversible fetal impairment confirmed by prenatal tests or an incurable life-threatening disease.
In the opinion of the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council, the so-far “compromise” on the possibility of termination of pregnancy gave women the fundamental right to make decisions in such a difficult and individual situation in the case of severe damage to the fetus. “Civil freedom is the ability to make decisions that will be deprived of women after the ruling of the Constitutional Court,” assessed the NRL.
The medical self-government emphasizes that all medical activities should be based on the latest medical knowledge and civilization discoveries. “After the prenatal examination, the doctor is obliged to provide complete, objective medical information about the result of the examination. Bearing in mind the content of the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal, it should be noted that there is a risk of incurring criminal liability by a physician in the event of informing the patient about the possibility of termination of pregnancy in other European Union countries ”, claims the Presidium of the NRL.
Women have the right to full information, and attempts to limit access to it are – according to the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council – unacceptable.
“At the same time, we believe that it is necessary that any works on the issue of the admissibility of termination of pregnancy in Poland should be accompanied by legislative solutions facilitating the functioning of families after the birth of seriously and terminally ill children” – points out the NRL.
“As doctors, we witness family tragedies, the breakdown of marriages, leaving sick children and, most often, their mothers, in difficult personal and economic situations,” points out the NRL.
“The everyday functioning of mothers and difficulties in obtaining social assistance, high-quality medical, psychological and physiotherapeutic assistance, often described by mothers, should not take place in a country that tries so hard to take care of life from the moment of conception,” adds the Council.
In the opinion of the Presidium of the NRL, the maintenance of pregnancy due to severe and irreversible fetal defects sometimes exhausts the features of persistent therapy.
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“Taking into account the socially acceptable regulations regarding the determination of brain death, the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council suggests basing the new regulations on the establishment of medical commissions confirming the existence of grounds for termination of pregnancy due to defects or lethal damage to the fetus” – indicated in the position of the NRL.
It emphasized that the issue of the permissibility of termination of pregnancy was raised many times in public discussion, aroused divisions and extreme emotions among citizens.
“That is why the NRL Bureau deems it irresponsible to take decisions on such a controversial issue that provokes mass social protests, in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing increase in infections. During the demonstration, it is not possible to comply with the sanitary rules necessary to reduce infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease »- warns the Council.
“Considering the tense situation that arose after the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal, The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council calls on the political circles to urgently start parliamentary cooperation and dialogue with the society in order to develop solutions that will allow – this time in the course of legislative work – to regulate this issue“- says the position.
The Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the provision allowing abortion in the case of a high probability of severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus or an incurable disease that threatens its life is inconsistent with the constitution. The justification indicated that human life is a value at every stage of development and, as a value derived from constitutional provisions, it should be protected by the legislator. The judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal was passed in full bench; Two judges submitted dissenting opinions. (PAP)
Author: Katarzyna Lechowicz-Dyl / PAP
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